The Story of I am Not

Leadership in the Trinity

The Trinity is man’s feeble effort to define the attributes of God. The Bible points to the fact that the Trinity refers to the triune personalities of God. If you look to the early Church Fathers, the Trinity was an issue that they spent a lot of time trying to wrap their minds around. It is still true today. We must develop a clear theology of the Trinity and be able to articulate it well, if we are going to communicate this major tenant of our faith with those who are seeking to join mankind’s conversation with the God who created them.  We hold to the substance of the Trinity, but have no clue how to articulate it.  God did not give us much information on how God can be three and one, but I think that the more we get to know Him and really follow Him it will become clearer.  For example, I knew my role as a son as I was growing up.  I dreamed one day of being a husband and a father.  I knew that I would reach that goal one day, and believed I could be all three (Son, father, and husband), but until I became intimately involved in each of those areas I really did not understand those roles.  It is the same with God.  The more we understand the role of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the better equipped we will be to articulate the Trinity.

The Trinity has been evident from the beginning of time.  Creation is a perfect example of the Trinity working together to accomplish God’s overall purpose. In Genesis 1:2 we see that the earth was formless and darkness covered the deep waters, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.  The Holy Spirit played an active role in the creation account.  A little further in Genesis 1 we get a glimpse of a conversation between all members of the Trinity as they discussed creating man.  In Genesis 1:26, we see the God Head conferring with the other two members of the Trinity as they decide to make man “in or image”.  Jesus also played a vital role in creation.  In John 1:3, we see that God created everything “through Christ”.  Jesus was the agent of Creation.  That is why it is so profound that the very person who played the most active role in Creation came back to give Hi life to redeem the very thing He created.  The Trinity is one of the basic foundations of the Christian Faith, but aloe the most misunderstood.  When we look at it against the backdrop of the entirety of Scripture, we can see that each member of the Trinity has a unique role in the Great, Grand Story of God.

As it relates to leadership, I see the Holy Spirit as the unifying factor within the Trinity.  What I mean by that is can be explained by the analogy of a person.  God is the head.  All things originate from the head and thus communicates those things to the body.  The body represents Christ.  Christ is the active part of the Trinity that executes the head’s will.  The Holy Spirit is like the blood that flows through the body unifying the Trinity into one unified being.  The Holy Spirit’s role is to help conform us to the image of Christ.  This is how I believe the church should work.  The trinity is a perfect picture of the church.  God is the head and all instruction comes from Him.  Christ is represented in the body of believers that are the incarnate representation of Christ to the community in which it is planted.  The Holy Spirit is the fuel that propels the church and it leadership to fulfill the mission of God for that given body of believers.

On a practical level the trinity has helped me to see the importance of relationships when it comes to my leadership.  The relationship of the trinity is key to its structure and function.  The same is true within the church and the family.  You can see this played out in the Gospels.  When Jesus is baptized, God the father gives his blessing on the mission of the son.  Jesus saw the importance of spending a lot of time with the father in prayer daily.  Then Jesus tells his disciples that it is good that he goes away because then the comforter, Holy Spirit, will come and lead them into all truth.  The Trinity points to the connectedness of God displayed in three distinct personalities.  It is because of this connectedness that the subordination appears to be seamless.  The same is true within the church and family.  The more connected a pastor is to his congregation the more likely they are to follow his lead.  The same is true in the family.  The more engaged a father is with his children, the more likely they will follow his leadership and discipline.  Relationship is the key.  We can learn a lot from the trinity that can impact our leadership.  It is my prayer that we each understand our role in the great, grand story of God in light of what we see in the unique characteristics of God displayed in the trinity.  Have a great week and may God Bless you in all you do to for Him today. 

Missional Call

I firmly believe God calls each one of us to a particular ministry.  God has called me into Mission Work and Youth Ministry.  I feel that there are many souls in this world that can be won for Christ that do not attend a formal church.  For me, that ministry and mission field is with teenagers.  I have a burden to see young people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus.  I firmly believe we are just but one generation away from a world that will have no knowledge of Christ.  I have a passion for teaching young people about the Christ I believe in and follow. I want to take time and invest my life in the lives of young men and women.

If we are to be effective Ministers, we need to apply the principles of missionary work to our ministry.  We need to spend time looking at areas like evangelism, cultural norms, music, language, and decision making processes used by our local culture.  Missionaries spend months studying the culture before planning a strategy to reach the “nationals”.  As Pastors, we must be diligent in our study of the culture in which we minister.  We need to have many avenues of contact in order to impact our churches and communities.  We must enter into the world of our Glocal Community if we are to be effective.  We must spend time listening to music, watching TV shows and movies, and pick up on the dialectic cues of that cultures language.

As Ministers we must be able to multi-task.  As counselors, we must address the problems and issues that people experience.  As sociologists, we must examine cultural trends and know how much influence they have on our community.  As teachers, we must communicate God’s Word in their language.  As theologians, we must have a vibrant relationship with God and make Him known to our people. As missionaries, we must know the local culture and penetrate the areas where people live, work, and play.

In order for indigenous churches to be started and continue reproducing, the local people must become involved.  The local people need to be trained to do the ministry.  We tend to only train a few workers, and soon they become frustrated and overworked.  All members of the local church should take part in sharing the gospel with the people the come into contact with.  Local congregations must be given the tools to become equipped for kingdom work.  If not they will become dependant upon the church staff, and when they leave the ministry will die.

In the New Testament, churches were spontaneously expanded.  There was no great appeal by the apostles to coerce the local church to go start new congregations.  The Great Commission was understood as a tenant of the Christian Faith.  They just went and did it.  Wherever the Apostles went, they started new churches.  They were discipling new believers and then turning them loose to do God’s work.  We often time think only “School-trained” people can do the work in a local church, but that is not the case.  These new converts were uneducated men who yielded their lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We as a church need to return to this way of mission’s work.  It worked back then and it will work now.  Until we realize the power a local believer has in the church planting process, our world mission effort will become retarded and frustrated.

   
If we are going to be the church that God called us to be, we must humbly take His message of saving grace to all.  The church as a whole does not think about the “The Third Church” because many people see that is being across the ocean.  The do not see as it being right in their backyard.  They say, “Reaching those people is the missionaries job.”  Many do not realize the “Third Church” is right in their neighborhood.  We must help our people grasp a Glocal Vision to reach “all” with the Gospel of Christ.

   

Calvinism Revisited, Part 1

Calvinism is back on the scene and getting a lot of attention within the Southern Baptist Convention and the Church as whole.  Many Christians do not have a clear understanding of this theological view.  I took a Theology Classes in Seminary, but I had forgotten the details of Calvinism.  In this article, I will look at the basic views of Calvinism and cover the first two tenants of this particular view.

TULIP is an acronym for the five points of Calvinism—total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints.  This theological view is making a resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention.  Many people think that this issue is secondary and should have little effect on the day-to-day operations of our churches, but I disagree.  Johnny Hunt, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, stated, "What you believe determines how you behave".  So I am going try to give you a brief overview of some of the issues of the Calvinist Resurgence that trouble many within the convention and need to be addressed within our churches.  As a church, Crestview needs to determine where we stand on these issues.  I hope to shed some light on this subject in this article.

John 3:16 is a verse that describes the gospel in a nutshell. The verse indicates God's love is global, sacrificial, personal and eternal.  Jerry Vines states,  "We will never exhaust the content and the meaning of John 3:16.”  Here is a simple verse that tells us of the mind of God, the heart of God and the will of God.  The Greek word for "whosoever," which occurs more than a thousand times in the New Testament, carries the idea of "anyone, anywhere, anytime”. Now lets look at each of the issues within Calvinism and see what the Bible has to say about this Theological View.

T -- TOTAL DEPRAVITY - The issue of total depravity from Romans means no one is right with God.  Any good deed done is tainted with sinfulness, and there is no fear of God or ultimate peace in a person's heart. All of mankind fell in Adam and are affected by his sin.  Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern Seminary asks, "Does that mean we are born guilty before God?"  Patterson states, "I do not think that can be demonstrated from Scripture.  We are born with a 'sin sickness,' a disease that makes it certain that we will sin and rebel against God."  The Bible says people are condemned for their own sins.  Ephesians 2:1 says "... You were dead in your trespasses and sin.  Calvinism holds to the fact that if you are dead, then you can't do anything to respond to God.  Many Calvinists even believe that you must be regenerated before you can even have the faith to believe in Christ.  They believe that regeneration must come before faith.  I do not see that in Scripture.  You always see that faith and belief come before salvation, not the other ay around.  If you look at verses 2-3, which says, "You walked according to the course of this world ... you once conducted yourself in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind...."  This is analogy, you are dead in trespasses and sin, and pressed too far, you will make it say more than it says.  The atonement of Christ is God's way of saving the whole race, if the race would receive Him as Savior.  Although sinners are unable to help themselves, lost men are able to call out to God who can save them.  Calvinist even believe that people who are lost can not even hear the voice of God unless that are regenerated first, but that is contrary to Scripture.  We see in the Garden of Eden that even in their fallen state, God still communicated with Adam and Eve.  It is important to understand that we are all born into to sin, but are out of God’s reach.  He can use people, The Bible, the Holy Spirit, and even circumstances to draw us to him.  We are not so depraved that God can not speak to us in the depths of our souls.


U -- UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION - A historical overview of Baptist beliefs on the topic is consistent with the free agency of man; the question is how election is defined.  It is important for us to differentiate between God's corporate election of Israel and individual election, which is intertwined with and connected to God's foreknowledge.  In 1 Timothy 2:3-4, "... God our savior, who will have all men to be saved," The Greek word for "will" is an earnest desire.  Some Reformed commentaries state that "all" can't really mean "all men" because if God willed something it would have to happen.  Richard Land states, "I believe in a God who is so sovereign and so omniscient that He can break out of Calvin's box ... and He can choose to limit Himself and He can convict us and He can seek to bring us to conviction ... but He will not force us."  Understanding God's perspective of time and recognizing that He lives in what C.S. Lewis termed "the eternal now" should help Christians reconcile theological tensions.  All events are in the present for God. The idea of election or predestination is one that has been debated for years, and I do not think can be resolved with our feeble human minds.  As far as what Scripture says it clearly points to the fact that we are born with Free Will and can choose to reject or accept his gift of salvation.  If we are confused about this issue, it will greatly affect how we approach evangelism.  If we believe that God chooses only to save some and condemn the others, then will not be as passionate about sharing the gospel.  We will only share a watered down gospel that has no power.  The Great Commission demands that we share the “Whole Gospel” which is that Christ died for all who would receive Him not just a select few.  Which leads to the next issue which Limited Atonement that I will cover next month.

As a church, what we believe, will directly affect the way we do ministry.  Take some time this month and search the Scripture and see what the Bible actually says about these key theological ideas.  These issues will never be resolved this side of heaven, but as believers we are expected to know what we believe and why. In 1 Peter 3:15, we are encouraged to be ready to give an answer (or more literally “a defense”) for the hope that is within us.  The best way to do that is to be armed with knowledge.  Next month, I will look at the remaining three issues of Calvinism through the lens of Scripture.  Have a great month and may God truly bless you and your family.

A Maimed Life

As a follower of Christ, we all are on a journey that eventually leads us to heaven and a certainty that we will be transformed to become more like Jesus.  The journey itself is really what God uses to transform us.  I had always thought that the only reason God left us on earth after salvation was to fulfill a given purpose that we were created for.  That is true, but that is only a part of  the story.  I have come to believe God uses this life and the journey of following Christ shape us into who he created to us be.  The journey itself is what God uses to transform us into the image of His son.

In Matthew 5:30, we see Jesus giving those gathered on the mountainside a very strict rule for how we should live.  In these verses, he shares the importance of cutting sin out of our lives even if that means cutting off the very body part that causes us to sin.  It would be better for us to live a maimed life without sin, than to have a complete body racked with sin.  This idea is quite unique.  Then later in verse 48, Jesus gives us hope that we can live a well-rounded life as we become complete in him.  I always thought these verses pointed to an extreme idea of how sin should be handled, but upon further study, I can see that Jesus was really talking about the process of how the journey of a believer progresses.

Once we come to Christ, we are “reborn”.  For the first time, we are alive spiritually.  In my own journey, I can look back and see that at that moment my whole world changed.  I soon began to see the enormity of my sin and the sin in the world that I was oblivious to before.  I soon began to cut myself off from the world.  I became isolated and really did not know how to function in a world so different.  It was as if I was a stroke victim and had to learn how to live all over again.  A few years ago, I walked with my dad through the painful ordeal of a stroke.  He lost functionality in his limbs and could not speak.  It was a slow and frustrating process for him to learn to move, walk, and talk again.  He had to relearn something that just came natural to most of us.  As babies, we just learned all these things naturally by being a product of our environment and watching those around us.  It came so easy because we do not remember the challenges that we faced as a baby.  My dad, now in his mid 60s, had to learn all these things again.  His world would never be the same.  This is also what we experience as believer.  When we come to Christ, we have to learn a new way of living.  We have to learn how to talk, how to follow, how to think, how to feel, how to interact with a lost world, and how to love.  

Although we each come to Christ in different ways, I believe that the journey we each go through has very similar phases.  When we first come to Christ we are hyper-sensitive to the world around us.  We do not want to do anything that will corrupt us or cause our salvation not to “take”.  We isolate ourselves and only interact with people like us.  As we grow and understand who we are and who God is, we venture out a bit.  We learn how to share our faith and begin to have a heart for the lost, but we are still very cautious.  We very rarely want to engage the world in which we live for fear that world will rub off on us instead of us rubbing off on the world.  The sad thing is that this is where most Christian’s spiritual growth becomes stunted.  They know that they are called to reach out to the world around them, but they are content to live in a bubble and not interact with the world around them.

As believers we need to practice relational and incarnational ministry in the place where we live, work, and play. The world in which we live is the perfect arena in which to practice Incarnational Ministry.  Jesus’ ministry gave us insight into how we should approach our culture with the message of renewal and restoration.  All ministry is local.  As a believer, I must bridge the gap between Biblical culture and local culture.  Jesus was great at this.  He used common everyday language and situations to communicate God’s love to the people he came into contact with.  His message was presented differently depending on the individual he was speaking with.  We must learn how to construct Local Theologies.  We need to figure out how to best communicate the love of Christ to our culture.  

The history of the incarnation plays a vital role in helping us understand 

who Jesus is.  It helps us to see that Jesus is more than just a person to call on in times of trouble.  He is God in the flesh.  He is a person who understands us. We can truly say that Jesus “gets me”.  He knows my thoughts, my needs, and my dreams.  He is not just a problem solver.  When we understand the incarnation, then we can see the power of the cross revealed.  We see a God who came in the flesh to show us how to live, how to die to our sins, and how to be raised to walk in His righteousness. The incarnation transcends cultural boundaries. People want to be understood.  They are looking for a place to 

belong.  They want someone to understand them and identify with their struggles.  We can help them see that the incarnate Christ is that person.  If we become an extension of Christ’s life, we can impact this generation in a mighty way.  By investing our lives in people, just a Christ invested in the disciples, we will see much change.  

In John 1, we see that “Jesus dwelt among us”.  He became a part of the culture.  He was “one of us”.  We must have the same mindset.  Paul encourages us in Philippians 2:5-11 to have the same attitude as Christ, which means we must live out the Gospel before the people that we have been entrusted with.  The Holy Spirit allows us to be the “incarnate” representative of Christ on earth.  We will have the same spirit and mind of Christ if we tap into the power and guidance that the Holy Spirit offers.

We must keep the BIG picture in mind.  We have to put people before 

programs.  We cannot underestimate the power of presence.  Just being available and listening to people share the successes and failures in their life; we will make a great impact.  We also must realize that we can’t minister to everyone.   Not everyone wants to be ministered to.  Remember, we are a model of relational ministry.  We must be able to balance these two areas.  

We need to be real and authentic with the people we encounter.  Jesus 

was able to do this very well.  His disciples saw Him in His full glory on the Mount of Transfiguration and in His brokenness in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Authenticity is really at the heart of the incarnation.  When Jesus was baptized and the Father spoke his affirmation over his son by saying “in whom I am well pleased”, we see who Jesus really was.  His divine nature and human nature were transparent for all to see.  All we have to do is look.  His miracles testified to his deity while his sorrow and brokenness in the Garden displayed His humanity.

Incarnational Ministry is what every believer is called to.  We are the body of Christ.  We are an extension of His saving grace.  We must be willing to step outside of our comfort zone, and “dwell” with those who need to experience the incarnate.  God never intended for us to remain in the maimed state that we began our journey in.  He wants us to have a well rounded life and become more like His son.  Take some time this week and examine which areas of your life are still maimed and have not grown.  Allow God to transform you into the person He created you to be.

Sunday Recap: May 16, 2010

Sunday Recap:  Missional Church:  Practice or Profession.  Click below to download this podcast if you missed it.  Have a great week.

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God and the World

Christianity in itself is controversial.  The history of the church is filled with outbreaks of violence as the message of Christ was spread.  One reason was due to fact that this radical new message was based on the free grace of a God that chose to save His creation by the sacrificial death of His son.  This was wild.  The early church faced a lot of challenges.  We should not be surprised that we will face some of the same challenges.  We can learn from the example of the early church how to deal with conflict and violence that comes as a result of this life-changing message.  It is up to us to adapt our approach to make the most impact.  Is there a similarity between religious life in the first century prior to Pentecost and that of most churches and Christian communities today? Clearly, the answer is yes. Sure, there are differences: we have all the conveniences of twenty-first century technology—printed Bibles, Christian radio and TV broadcasts, and the Internet. These wonderful tools should greatly aid us in an effort to transform our culture. But in spite of the differences in technology and information availability, today’s typical religious life seems anemic and ineffectual. The average American church appears to have little impact on the culture around us. Why? 

    The Church today is not what the church was intended to be.  The Church started as a missionary movement in Jerusalem.  It moved to Rome and became an institution.  It traveled to Europe and became a culture.  It crossed the Atlantic to America and became a big business.  While this is simplistic, it does ring true. It appears that religious people have, on the whole, lost their “transforming salt” and are no longer an “attractive light” that most people want to follow. 

    It may seem strange to think that traditional evangelism is in its last gasps when some North American churches seem to be increasing in number. Indeed, if the measure of success is church attendance, donations, people’s participation, numbers of programs, or square footage of church space, then many of today’s churches would be considered overwhelming successful. But are these factors valid measurements for the success of a church? If not, what is? The apostle Paul established some indicators. He stated that the leadership of the church was responsible “to equip God’s people to do his work…” so they would be “…mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13, NLT). “Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live…so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, NLT). The disciple James went on to add: “Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions?” (James 2:14, NLT).

    Just as in the first century, a new church is emerging that is measuring its success not by the numbers of those participating in religious programs, but by its transformed lives. These churches measure their success by the lives of those who profess to be Christians. Their standard is simple Christ-likeness and how the transformed lives of their members impact the community around them. Over the past few decades Youth Ministry has been on the cutting edge of relevant ministry.  He points out that if we are going to make an impact we must understand the condition of the postmodern mind and develop Youth Ministries that seek to meet those individual where they are.  Considering the condition of the church and what is has become, we must be willing to think outside the box and be proactive in our approach to reaching this generation.

    I realized that if we are going to make an impact in the generation, we must get back to the model of the early church.  It didn’t take thousands of people to launch God’s transformational Kingdom movement in Jerusalem during the first century. There were only 120 in that upper room pouring their hearts out to God in agreement when his transforming Spirit empowered them to engage their city. And from Jerusalem they turned the known world upside down. What did they do and how did they do it? A study of the early church reveals how they grew and stayed focused on the mission Christ gave them. There were many factors involved, and we must practice these as well.  

    First, I must proclaim a transformational message. The new kingdom was not about changing the government; it was about transforming each individual life.  I must have a burden to reach the lost and truly seek to help students find the transforming power of Christ.

    Second, my Youth Ministry must embrace a missional focus.   Church growth should not be our goal; it is a by-product.  My strategy has to come together in the prayer of agreement, unify around God’s heart of compassion, and engage the city with a message of Christ’s love that met people’s needs.   And that will result in converts.   Converts will then be discipled, and the Youth Ministry and church will become more authentic and experience growth. 

    And third, I must help my students become living models of transformation. People aren’t attracted to preaching personalities or church buildings or church programs. They are attracted to a people who demonstrate love and care for others, people who have a clear sense of purpose and convictions worth dying for. 

    Our culture today has similarities to that of the first century. The needs of people are the same now as then. People in our community will respond and can be changed by the same message of transformation, they will respond to the same missional focus, and they will be attracted to authentic models of transformation. 

Book Review: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald S. Whitney.  Colorado Springs:  NavPress, 1991.  266 pages.  

Donald S. Whitney’s book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life was chosen to fulfill a requirement for Dr. Reid’s Basic Evangelism class.   Donald Whitney, the  assistant professor of spiritual formation at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has written a well-structured, clearly applicable and easily understood book addressing the issues of proper discipleship training in the life of the believer. The title of the book is Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life and is published by NavPress of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dr. Whitney earned his D.Min. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity school, and served as a pastor for 19 years prior to his position at Midwestern. Whitney has also written How Can I be Sure I am a Christian? (NavPress, 1994) and Spiritual Disciplines Within The Church (Moody Press, 1996.)

The basic tenet in this book is derived from 1 Timothy 4:7; "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (NASB). The entire book is an effort to apply this verse in practical ways. (p.16)  Whitney strives to give us a basic framework for disciplined Christian living throughout the 13 chapters in his book.

Chapter 1 gives us the major reasons for seeking a disciplined life.  Whitney reminds us that freedom is not the opposite of discipline, but in actuality the final reward of discipline. (p.24)  While the initial application of discipline may be difficult, its reward is the gradual assimilation into one’s life, so that discipline becomes the normal daily practice and a joy unto itself, rather than a tedious chore. This in turn leads to the ultimate joy; a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapters 1 through 12 cover each of the author’s suggested disciplines: Bible intake (chapters 2 and 3), prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling, and learning.  Chapter 13 wraps it all up under the title Perseverance in the Disciplines.  Each chapter concludes with two or three life application questions and the author’s answers.

Chapters 2 and 3 cover the issue of Bible intake. With all the available versions of the Bibles that are in print it is surprising that evangelicals largely neglect Biblical intake outside of a 5 to 10 minute daily devotional.  Today it seems that every conceivable type of Bible study is available in the church or for home.  Inductive studies, small group studies, large group studies, thematic studies, Biblical character studies, men’s studies, women’s studies, and on and on.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with studying the Bible in this manner, Whitney reminds us that the oldest and still most effective means of studying God’s Word is to read it.  Of all the methods devised to study the Bible, simply reading it and meditating on what you have read is still the most beneficial

and edifying method of all.  Christians sometime get the wrong idea about meditation.  The word meditation brings up images of chanting, incense and weird body positions, but that is not what Whitney is talking about.  Mediating simply means to concentrate on God’s Word and ponder on how to apply to ones life.  As part of the discipline of Bible intake, we must also memorize Scripture as well.  Jesus said that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  So if we fill our heart with the Word of God, we will not sin against Him

Chapter 4 covers the always-difficult subject of prayer. Perhaps no other discipline is as difficult to maintain as is a regular prayer life.  We are to pray because God expects us to pray, and Whitney cites many New Testament verses commanding us to pray.  Prayer is neglected because "the problem is primarily one of a lack of discipline:  Prayer is never planned, time is never allotted for praying." (p.69)  He then gives us some effective guidelines for establishing prayer in our lives.  One common-sense idea is that praying daily leads to a better prayer life.  In prayer, like athletics, practice enhances performance.

Chapter 6 covers the discipline of Evangelism. Evangelism is not often thought of as a discipline, possibly because evangelism is often left to those who are called to the ministry.  Many lay people believe that one must have a particular spiritual gift in order to share their faith.  Evangelism is in deed a spiritual discipline.  Discipline is extremely necessary if evangelism is to be effective and consistently practiced.  If prayer is the hardest discipline to maintain, then evangelism is certainly the hardest discipline to begin.  Probably no other discipline creates such terror in the Christian as that of evangelism.  Whitney gives us three rules of evangelism. First, evangelism is expected. The author states "All Christians are not expected to use the same methods of evangelism, but all

Christians are expected to evangelize." (p. 100)  Also, evangelism is empowered. Whitney tells us the power of evangelism is not ourselves, but is the Holy Spirit.

Christians fear failure in evangelism, which to most means rejection of the Gospel. But that is not failure; not faithfully sharing Christ is true failure.  We are not called to save, we are called to share the Gospel.  Conviction and conversion is the work of the Spirit. Success is measured by how faithfully we share the Gospel, not by how many notches we put on our evangelical gun belt.  "Evangelism is a natural flow of the Christian life." (p. 106)  One of the best pieces of advice Whitney gives for initiating a witness opportunity, especially with strangers, is offering to pray for them.  This can often turn the conversation quickly to spiritual matters, presenting an opportunity for a Gospel presentation.

In chapter 7, Whitney states this sobering message:  Spiritual gifts are for using in service. If God didn’t intend for your gift to be used, there would no longer be any purpose for your life. Why would God allow us to live beyond any usefulness to Him? In His wisdom and providence He has gifted each believer to serve and kept each of you alive to serve. (p.125).  Too many believers live as if they are here to be a blessing to God, rather than to serve God.  We must all remember that we are called primarily to be a blessing to others.

Overall, this book is well written and applicable to the Christian walk.  I agree with the disciplines chosen for this book.  There is no more important discipline than consistent, meditative and prayerful intake of God’s Word.  Without this, the other disciplines are not possible.  People, particularly Americans, always want a foolproof "system," and the previously mentioned types of Bible study programs appeal to different needs.  Yet simple daily reading of the Bible remains the most effective means for learning its content.

This book is not without its problems, however. Especially in his chapters on stewardship and fasting.  When discussing giving, the author seems to limit proper Biblical giving strictly to finances and not to the giving of time, resources or gifts. Yet when discussing fasting, the author concedes that it "does not always deal with abstinence from food." (p. 160)  Abstinence from other activities, like people, media and sleep qualifies as well. Whitney seems to be inconsistent in his application of stewardship and fasting. These disciplines are more closely related than they may appear.

   Slightly troubling as well is his hermeneutic in a couple of Biblical expositions.  In evaluating Jesus’ fast for forty days and nights in Matthew 4:2, Whitney states that since the body can’t live more than three days without water, Jesus must have drank some during this time, though not stated in the passage. Yet when discussing Moses’ fast in Deuteronomy 9:9 and Elijah’s fast in 1 Kings 19:8, he states that their fasts without water required "God’s supernatural intervention into the bodily processes and are not repeatable apart from the Lord’s specific calling and miraculous provision." (p.161)  Surely Whitney is not saying that God "supernatural intervened into the bodily processes" of Elijah and Moses, but not into the Lord Jesus’?

Despite some minor flaws, this is a much needed book in Evangelical circles today. It reads crisply, addresses key discipleship issues, and is very convicting in areas such as prayer, stewardship and evangelism. This book is recommended to be read by every Christian who desires a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Behind the Music: Take it on the Run (Week 1)

Take it on the Run

Exodus 32:1-15

 

Objectives

·      To explain why God is passionate about His relationhip with you.

·      To define what it means to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

 Overview

           When God created man, he was unlike anything else that God had created.  Every living thing up to that point was spoke into being.  God spoke and it appeared.  Man on the other hand was created by God personally.  He scooped the dirt out of the ground and breathed the life into it. (Genesis 2:7)  Therefore we are his prize creation and He is jealous for us.  The term jealous is not what we typically think of when we think of jealously.  God is not a mad and brooding God, but a passionate one.  He is passionate about his relationship with us.  After God had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, he gave Moses the divine law to reveal His heart to the people He loved so much.  In the commandments that were given, God instructed the people to have no other God before Him. He also told them not to make any images or objects to worship above him.  In Exodus 34:14, it states that we are not to worship any other image or God because our God is “passionate” about His relationship with us.

    I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s.  The music of that era really has a special place in my heart.  When I began to choose songs for this series, this song just jumped out at me.  In Take it on the Run, REO Speedwagon tells the story of a girl that has been seen with other men around town.  She was caught cheating and the rumors were already starting to spread.  This song depicts a very similar event in the Bible.  This event deals with the children of Israel cheating on their God.  After Moses lead the people out of Egypt, He went up to Mt. Sinai to meet with the Lord.  While he was there, God began to reveal a moral law that would be a guide to the Israelites as they followed God into the Promised Land that was promised to Abraham long ago.  Moses was away from the camp for some time and the people were getting restless and worried.  They thought that God had led them to the desert and had forgotten about them.  Their faith was slipping because they had lost sight of the promise.  They were also growing tired of worshiping a God that they could not see.  They were no doubt remembering their time in Egypt and the many gods that they saw on display in the cities and temples.  So they decided to make a golden calf to worship.  They wanted to “take it on the run” or commit adultery against the very God who had miraculously saved them from utter destruction. The first four of the Ten Commandments, commonly called the first table, puts the emphasis on man’s relationship with God.  It is appropriate that those should be put first, because man had a God to love, before he had a neighbor to love. It cannot be expected that he should be true to his brother, who is false to his God. The first commandment concerns the object of worship, JEHOVAH, and him only. The worship of creatures is here forbidden. Whatever comes short of perfect love, gratitude, reverence, or worship, breaks this commandment.  Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. The second commandment refers to the worship we are to render to the Lord our God. It is forbidden to make any image or picture of the Deity, in any form, or for any purpose; or to worship any creature, image, or picture.  But the spiritual impact of this command extends much further.  All kinds of superstition are forbidden, and the using of mere human inventions in the worship of God.

    In a world that is so complex and busy, we tend to fill our lives with idols of convenience rather than live a live of obedience to God. Many Christians believe that as they are better able to discipline themselves, God's grace becomes available to them.  Actually the exact opposite is true.  It is God's grace that gives us the ability to discipline ourselves. As we become more dependent on God to empower us in these areas of discipline, and then apply the grace that God gives us, then we will mature as Christians.

    In order to truly experience God’s grace we must be disciplined in the area of obedience.  Jesus tells his disciples “if you love me, you will keep my commandments.  Jesus also expounds on this by telling us in Matthew 22:36-40 that the greatest commandment is to love God with all that we are; mind, body, heart.

     Many of us have a racecar type of obedience.  We need to be ever alert and cautious as we live our lives.  We must be willing to move fast when God calls us to obey.  Too many of us are content to live on cruise control, and watch the world go by.  Obedience requires fast action, almost an involuntary reaction to God’s call.

    We must also be dependent on God in order to experience the fullness of His grace.  Dependence must be accompanied by discipline.  Just as an airplane needs both wings to fly to great altitudes, we need both discipline and dependence to soar to the heights of God’s amazing grace.  Once we truly acknowledge our utter dependence on God and take “me” out of the picture, then and only then, will our lives be open to God’s leading and direction.

    Commitment plays a big role in a pursuit of holiness and grace.  First, we need to be committed to living a life that is pleasing to God.  It is a resolute commitment.  Commitment is a choice.  Whatever plan of action we take in our Christian life speaks to our commitment level.  If we are striving to live a life free of sin, we must be committed to the example left for us by Jesus and God’s Word.  In order to truly understand God’s grace, we must search our hearts and see how committed we are to the cause of Christ.  If we are not willing to fully commit by giving control of our lives to Christ, how can we expect others to do the same.

Song

Take it on the Run – REO Speedwagon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMODgJpxVVw&feature=related)

 

Lyrics

Heard it from a friend who

Heard it from a friend who

Heard it from another you been messin' around

They say you got a boy friend

You're out late every weekend

They're talkin' about you and it's bringin' me down

 

But I know the neighborhood

And talk is cheap when the story is good

And the tales grow taller on down the line

But I'm telling you, babe

That I don't think it's true, babe

And even if it is keep this in mind

 

{Refrain}

 

You take it on the run baby

If that's the way you want it baby

Then I don't want you around

I don't believe it

Not for a minute

You're under the gun so you take it on the run

 

You're thinking up your white lies

You're putting on your bedroom eyes

You say you're coming home but you won't say when

But I can feel it coming

If you leave tonight keep running

And you need never look back again

 

{Refrain x 3}

 

Heard it from a friend who

Heard it from a friend who

Heard it from another you been messin' around

Discussion Guide

Open

·      Why is it so easy for us to “take it on the run” on turn away from God?

·      What are some idols in your life that have taken the place of God in your life?

·      What are some things you can do to put God first in your life?

·      What does it mean to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?

Dig in

1.            Transition into your study by explaining what it means “to have no other gods before me”.

2.            Discuss the following questions and look up the appropriate verses to support your discussion on the importance of making God the center of your life.

·      What is the greatest commandment? (See Matt 22:28)

·      Why is God so jealous? (See 1 Exodus 34:14)

·      Why is God so passionate about His relationship with us? (See John 3:16; Romans 5:8)

Close

1.            Are there any idols in your life that are taking the place of God?

2.            Are you really able to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?  If not, what is getting in the way of you being totally in love with God.

3.            Take some time alone with God and be honest about times when you have “taken it on the run” or loved something more than God.

New Blog Series!!!

Hey Guys,

    Check out my new blog series entitled:  Behind the Music:  A 52 Week Bible Study.  Beginning this Friday, April 9, 2010, I will be looking at a different song every Friday and exposing the biblical truth found within the melody.  I will be looking at both secular and sacred music.  I will cover everything from 80's Rock to Southern Gospel.  Tune in each week to see what truth we can find in these amazing songs.  I pray that God will open our eyes and hearts to some new insight into our favorite songs.  I would also like to dialog with you about the posts each week.  Send me an email or post a response right here on the blog page.  God bless and I look forward to where this journey will take us.

Standing Alone

The promised Holy Spirit descended on this band of 120 men and women who were in agreement in heart and mind. In that empowered moment, everything suddenly became clear to them. In a flash they realized that the real mission of Jesus was not to establish a government, but to transform the hearts and minds of people. It was not to solve society’s problems from the top down, but from the bottom up, just as he did when he was among them. He healed, he ministered, he fed, he taught, and he loved individual people with real needs. And these people loved him in return. They had seen his transforming mission in action, but they had been too self-centered and self-absorbed in their own personal kingdom building to recognize it. But the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit changed all that.

On the day of Pentecost their confusion turned to conviction. They burst from the room and began explaining the message and meaning of Jesus in the languages of the foreigners visiting Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. A crowd of thousands gathered in amazement, asking, “What can this mean?” (Acts 2:12, NLT).

Can’t you just see Peter, the most vocal of the bunch, standing boldly before the crowd? Only weeks before he had been the opposite of bold—afraid even to identify himself with Jesus when the Romans arrested his master. But on this day he spoke with an enlightened heart and mind, in the power of God’s Spirit, unashamedly proclaiming: “What you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people’” (Acts 2:16-17, NLT).

For ten days Peter and the other followers of Jesus had been bathed in prayer. Now Peter went on to preach a convicting sermon about a new kingdom—a transformational Kingdom movement of God ushered in by prayer and the Holy Spirit. And some three thousand people were baptized into what became known as the Body of Christ—his church. In striking contrast to the religious leaders and people of that day, these fresh new believers didn’t just assemble behind closed doors and keep their religion to themselves. They lived out their newfound relationship with Christ through the power of God’s Spirit. Rather than talking about Jesus, they acted like him. Rather than being religious in a Temple, they were relevant to their society. It is recorded that “a deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshipped together in the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the good will of the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved” (Acts 2:43-47, NLT).

This transformational Kingdom movement swept throughout Jerusalem and turned the current religion of that day on its ear. These bands of Christ followers proclaimed that “pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means we must care for the orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us” (James 1:27, NLT). That was in striking contrast to what the Jewish religious leaders had taught. And rather than erecting buildings and creating an institution of this new religion, these Christ followers gathered in homes where they prayed in agreement and in the power of the Holy Spirit engaged their community, the surrounding countryside, and the known world with a compassion for those in need like that of their Lord and Savior himself. Their lives so reflected Christ that they were known as Christ-ians. Engaging the community around them with a lived-out gospel in the power of God actually transformed people’s lives and house churches were a natural consequence. And this transformational movement of Jesus swept the world like wildfire.  I believe that this can happen today if we are truly seeking to help the lost world around us experience this type of transformation.  I believe the best way to do that is through the model of the early church found in Acts.

The main reason for the Pentecostal boom is that people are looking for real intimacy and authenticity.  The Pentecostal movement offers both. Intimacy is something that I think is misunderstood.  In our society, intimacy is equated with sex.  I believe that true intimacy occurs when we really get to know people, and we are known.  We each long to be understood and accepted.  If we can connect with others on more than just a superficial level, we can attain true intimacy.  I think we can really experience God when we are honest with Him.  He knows us and longs for us to know Him.  The Pentecostal Boom is a result of people being honest about who they are and their need for God.

The major thing that we can learn from the early church is to be proactive and critically engage our society.  This is the approach that makes the most sense biblically.  Jesus chose to fully engage the people of His time.  He took the time to ask the tough questions.  He always asked the questions that would go way beyond the surface.  As youth pastors, we need to know what our students are involved in and ask the tough questions.  For example, this summer I did a message series called “MySpace”.  We took six weeks to look at the who, what, when, where, why, and how of MySpace.  MySpace is an Internet blog site where students can set up a profile, post media, and blogs about themselves.  As I began to research this topic, I looked for our students that had a MySpace account, and I was shocked.  Some of the students had revealing photos, lied about their age, and used profanity fluently.  I e-mailed these students and asked to be added to their friends list.  Within one hour, I had a student at my house. He asked,” How did you find out about MySpace?  He was embarrassed that I had found his site.  He puts on a very spiritual front at church, but his site was far from it.  Others were excited that I took time to enter their world.  If we critically engage the post-modern world, we will truly see change.  As youth pastors, we must lead the charge in an evangelical revolution to reach a lost generation.